Yangon (ILO News) – 39 representatives of local and foreign-owned garment factories were briefed on the factory-level training programme offered by the ILO Garment Industry Project (ILO-GIP) in Myanmar. The event took place on 11 May 2018 in Yangon, and was opened by U Myint Soe, Chairperson of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA), along with Mr Anders Frankenberg, Head of Development at the Embassy of Sweden to Myanmar, Mr Tobias Fischer, H&M Country representative in Myanmar, and Mr Rory Mungoven, ILO Liaison Officer in Myanmar.

The ILO-GIP and its training partners, such as Marie Stopes International, Care International and the Kaizen Institute, stressed how increasing the understanding and improving the practice of occupational safety and health, as well as addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and sexual and reproductive health through social dialogue can contribute to better industrial relations at the workplace and better outcomes for both workers and management.

The ILO-GIP project’s factory-level training programmes include:

• Social dialogue
• Occupational safety and health at work
• Productivity
• Gender equality and addressing sexual harassment at work
• Sexual and reproductive health at work

The event also offered the opportunity for the ILO industrial relations regional specialist, Mr Youngmo Yoon, to present the business case for social dialogue.

Lastly, as the ILO-GIP is finalizing a comprehensive baseline assessment on various dimensions of industrial relations in the Myanmar garment industry, initial factory and industry data were shared with the audience.